A former football coach accused of indecently assaulting a young boy has suggested his accuser may have a “grudge” against him after not being selected to play in enough matches.

Eric Cooper, 81, is accused of meeting his alleged victim, who was under 14 at the time, while coaching youth football teams in the sixties and seventies.

Then in his thirties, it is alleged he invited a young footballer to accompany him to watch football matches.

Cooper, of The Shade in Soham, is alleged to have shared a bedroom with his alleged victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, before making the journey to watch the matches, and to have assaulted him by touching him inappropriately as he slept.

Cooper appeared at Cambridge Crown Court today (December 15). He denies two counts of indecent assault on a person under the age of 14.

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Cooper has declined the opportunity to give evidence himself, but the court heard evidence taken during police interviews with Cooper, during which he denied the offence.

In one interview, Cooper said young people would often approach him and, rather than taking advantage, he had always tried to help them.

He said: “I remember one lad coming to me and saying he was being bullied and I said he should tell the school. He said he couldn’t. I said he should tell his parents, but they were away. I found out who was bullying him and made them stop. It didn’t take much. They were alright.”

When asked if he was sexually attracted to young boys, Cooper emphatically denied it.

Cooper told the police interviewer that, when you spend a long time in sport, not everyone agrees with decisions, and not everyone gets on with each other. He said the accusations might have come about as a result of a “grudge”.

“It is possible,” said Cooper when asked whether the alleged victim (who is now in his sixties) would come forward so many years later because of a grudge.

“People want to be included,” he said. “But they don’t always get what they want and they make complaints. When you work a lot with players, you don’t always get along with everyone.”